Class: International Intrigue

When students head off to college their freshman year, it’s often the first time many of them have lived away from their families. Most of these students experience an awkward mixture of anxiety and excitement as they venture into the unknown, but it doesn’t take long for the virtual cocoon of college life to ease their trepidations—or for college’s newfound freedoms to encourage many to test themselves in ever more distant terrain.

Last year, 42 percent of Rice students chose to supplement their education with a trip abroad—trekking even farther from their well-known homes and routines. In our increasingly global society, international experience can be an extremely important component of a well-rounded liberal arts education, providing innumerable educational experiences. From enhancing foreign language skills to experiencing other cultures to learning about different forms of governance, travel overseas can give students a greater appreciation for human diversity and even a greater love and respect for home.

Rice “Class” students Phil Moore, Will Conrad,
and Lorenzo Di Silvio chose to study overseas during their junior year, and this installment follows them on their journeys.

Class: International Intrigue - Phil Moore

—by M. Ynonne Taylor
Photos by Tommy LaVergne
and Jeff Fitlow